Sing Me a Song
by KTBaby19
Summary: Sarah is trying to re-build her life and use the lessons she learned in the labyrinth for both her and Toby's benefit, but what she knows may hurt her more than what she doesn't... Rated for future chapters. Be kind! it's my first fanfiction!
1. Chapter 1

Sarah walked out, the lights glaring into her eyes. She was all calm and grace, prowling like a tigress. This was her domain. This was her spot. On stage, with a guitar in her hands, baring her soul to an audience every night to pay her bills. This is where she wasn't 25 year old Sarah Williams, the girl who had lost her father and step mother in a car accident when she was 18. This wasn't Sarah Williams who had to stress over whether she could feed her 12 year old brother with the wages she made working two jobs. She was just Sarah, sitting on a lone stool on a small stage tearing into her sets with a passion that could be mistaken for anger if her voice hadn't been like the call of a siren, soothing those who heard her and dragging them under to drown in the warm alto vibrations at the same time. She smoothed her mini skirt as she took a seat.

As soon as she sat, the audience went dead silent, attentive. Sarah settled herself on the stool and just gazed into the spotlight. Then her voice crawled up from her throat and slithered through the audience.

--

"You're in my head  
You're in my brain  
You're in my blood  
As it is running through my veins  
Now I will never be the same

You're in my bed  
You're in my sheets  
You're in my dreams  
But I will never be complete  
If you can't give me what I need

I want your love  
Are you willing to give me time?  
I want your heart  
Do you want mine?  
I'll bear my soul  
Why would you turn away?"  
--

The blond man sitting in the back lifted an arched eyebrow.

"Well really, how quaint." he whispered bitterly while listening on.

--  
"You're in my way  
You're in my face  
Clouding my day  
You've got me waiting for your calls  
Maybe you want to see me crawl

Don't make me beg  
Throw me a bone  
Give me a clue  
Maybe you'd like to see me go  
I wish you'd let me know

I want your love  
Are you willing to give me time?  
I want your heart  
Do you want mine?  
I'll bear my soul  
Why would you turn away?

I want your love  
Are you willing to give me time?  
I want your heart  
Do you want mine?  
I'll bear my soul  
Why would you turn away?

Why would you turn away?  
Why would you turn away?  
Don't turn away.…"

No one noticed a tear slide down her face.

--

An hour later, after the set (and the encore) were well and done, Sarah slinked backstage to grab her purse. She grabbed a baby wipe and attempted to scrape the heavy make-up off of her face, only managing to smear the eyeliner to give her a smokey eyed look.

"Whatever." she grumbled as she snatched her things up and hustled to the door.

She kept expecting _him_ to show up. She knew the signs. Her palms were sweating and the back of her neck was tingling. Why though? All those years ago…no, Sarah wouldn't think about that right now. She had done what was right. She had gotten Toby, she had defeated the Labyrinth, she had won the game.

She jumped into her car and drove home. California looked beautiful at night. Santa Cruz was a dream. After the accident, she wanted nothing to do with Connecticut. She wanted warm, friendly anonymity in a city where people come and go. She wanted sun and sand and saltwater. She was happy.

Sarah climbed the three flights of stairs to get to the apartment her and Toby shared. It wasn't giant, but it wasn't small either. It overlooked the pier, so at night you could see everything lit up. The first thing Sarah was going to do when she got in was take off her damn boots. Sure, they looked great on her, but they wre not made for waitress work. She slid the key into the keyhole and turned the doorknob. The first thing she saw in the dim light was the babysitter bleeding on the floor.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own The Labyrinth or any of the characters inside of it…sad sigh

BUT I do own my own personal story plot.

Oh, and the song in the last chapter was "Turn Away" by Jennifer Marks. I do not own that either. J

Sarah's hand pressed to her mouth to stifle a shriek. She rushed forward to check for a pulse. She gently put her hand on the big pulse on the girl's neck. It was weak, but it was there. She crept back to the wall to search for the light switch. Her hand flicked it up and down twice. Nothing happened.

"_SHIT," _she thought, "_Where the hell is Toby?"_

She crouched down and crept forward towards Toby's room. She thanked god they were by the pier, or she would have been completely blind.

Sarah went to turn the doorknob when she noticed something dripping off of it. It was some kind of clear liquid. With a shudder, she suppressed her thoughts of what a dumb idea this was and lifted a finger up to her mouth to rub the tip against her lip. Her tongue flicked out as she tasted it. Saltwater. Her heart started beating way too hard for her comfort. She quietly twisted the knob and peered in.

"Toby?" she whispered.

Nothing. Absolute silence. She slid farther into the room, noticing how much water there was on the floor. It looked like a pipe had burst in his room. She knew without a doubt that the water would be salty on her tongue.

Right as she reached the closet the lights suddenly glared on. Sarah shielded her eyes for the moment it took to adjust. Then she noticed the lock of hair and the note on Toby's sopping wet mattress. She flew to the bed and ripped the note open with one hand while the other gripped the lock of very fine blond hair that she knew was Toby's.

_If you wish the boy to be found,_

_Go for a midnight swim. _

_You know where, Truthseer._

When Sarah turned a confused eye back to Toby's bed, she saw her pocket knife. The one she had lost a month ago in a very specific accident…

Comprehension hit her like a Mac truck. Sarah gasped for air. The mermaids. Oh god, the mermaids had Toby.

---

Sarah called an ambulance for the babysitter. The girl started to rouse about ten minutes later. The paramedics came in and started to treat her. At first the girl was quite lucid, then she began to panic. She started screaming about the water. The paramedics sedated her and strapped her to a gurney to wheel her out. They assured Sarah that they would contact the girls' mother. Sarah nodded. She didn't even remember the girls name. Ashley or Brittany or something along those lines. In any other situation, Sarah would have been embarrassed that she had forgotten the poor girls name. Right now though, her only thoughts were on Toby, and how she could have been so dumb. She thought back to her first night swim.

---

When Sarah had first come to Santa Cruz, she had walked along the pier at night. Never seeing an ocean so brilliantly lit up (because of the peer) she found a path that led down to a beach to examine it closer. The sight took her breath away. She was getting hypnotized by the sea. Before she knew it, she was kicking her shoes off while humming some soft song from her past. She strode forward and let the waves was over her feet. All she could hear was the rush of the ocean and the mechanical whirling of the pier. So quiet, so calm. Sarah's hum had turned into a song. She sang at the top of her lungs. Her voice blended with the _whoosh_ of the sea. Before long, Sarah realized she had drifted waist high into the water. She felt something tangle her legs. Panic set in. It was dark, she didn't know what was in the water, beneath the reflection of the light. She struggled to pull back, but whatever it was that had her wasn't letting go. She gained a few feet when she saw a head pop up. Yellowed eyes and tangled hair. Sharp teeth, stained with black (Sarah knew what that was; "_Old blood," _her mind whispered) were set in a grin of anticipatory victory.

"_This thing will tear me apart while wearing that smile…" _Sarah knew.

She screamed, long and loud, and that surprised the thing. Sarah saw it's eyes widen.

"_You ssseee meee…"_it hissed, and began to pull in honest now, "_you cannot livvve, truttthhh seerer…" _

Sarah screamed and pulled until she thought the thing was going to pull her leg from the socket. Finally she remembered that she had a pocket knife. She dug beneath her skirt and found what she was looking for. Thank god for pockets on the inside of skirts. She had lost ground and found herself up to her chest. The thing started to tug harder, seeing that it had her. Sarah whipped out her knife, flicking it open at the same time. She shoved it hilt deep into one of the luminescent eyes before her. The thing squealed so loud Sarah thought her eardrums were going to burst. She covered her ears and let go of the knife. It was still buried in the thing's eye. Sarah swam for shore as fast as she could. When she reached the shore she scrambled back to the rocks. She was drenched, but alive. She saw the thing try to drag itself out of the water onto the beach. Sarah saw what it was in the harsh lights from the pier. A mermaid. She had almost been killed by a mermaid.

"_You willl payyyy…"_ it used its one good eye to glare at her, then shoved itself back into the water.

Sarah had run all the way back to the apartment. She had checked on Toby, then gone into the shower and cried.

Huddled there in the pounding water, tears having run dry, she thought "WHY ME? Why does the weird shit always happen to me?"

There was no answer.

---

As she started to mop up the water that was everywhere, Sarah contemplated her options. She knew she didn't want to go down to that beach, but what choice did she have? She refused to lose Toby. She had already lost too many people in her life. Whether they had died or whether she had pushed them away because of her silly youth.

Sarah felt a heaviness in her chest at that thought.

"_Damn it, why does it always revolve around him?"_

She thought back to her time in the labyrinth. About how cruel and seductive he had been. How beautiful and dangerous. Even at 15 she couldn't deny the allure he had had, Jareth. The King of Goblins. She strode into her room and began to change out of her club clothes and into a bathing suit, thinking of how different things could have been.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Don't own a majority of the characters, but I DO own the plot, so no touchy.**

**Be gentle, this is my very first fanfic. ****J**

Jareth was staring at Sarah through one of his crystals.

"Hm, my girl, and where do you think you are going?" He watched as she grabbed her pocket knife and a butterfly knife she kept in her top drawer.

"And why do you have such weapons, Sarah? Still pretending to be the heroine? Or maybe instead of blatant refusals you are now cutting your suitor's heart up front…" Jareth couldn't hide the bitterness in his voice. Every time he thought of that infuriating ungrateful girl it provoked emotions he had never felt before. He hated her but he was still drawn to her. If he could just forget about her, his world would be so much less complicated.

He swept his hair back with a flick of his head. He didn't know what Sarah was doing, but it must have been dangerous. Why the need of weapons otherwise? He watched as Sarah pulled out a series of straps and attached them to her wrist. She then slid the knife in. She slid the other knife in between her cleavage. What had happened to Sarah in the last few years where she had needed this kind of weaponry? His curiosity piqued as he watched her caress something and drop it on the top of her dresser. It looked like a lock of baby blond hair. Sarah then walked out of the room and out into her dining room. She was writing a note. Then she walked out the door.

Jareth's curiosity got the best of him. He transported to her living room taking in his surroundings for the first time. Without Sarah in the room, he found he saw more detail. The bookshelf was stuffed to the brim with folklore. Children's folklore, Adults folklore, mythology from around the world. The couch was a soft plush white. The flood was hardwood the color of honey. There were pictures on her wall. A hanging light illuminated the room. Tasteful.

Jareth strode over to the note.

_I don't know who would be reading this, but if you are there is a great chance that I didn't return from where I went. Don't look for me. You won't find me. Just believe that I am in a better place. Please…take care of Toby, no matter what. Make sure he lives the rest of his life out to the fullest. Make him know his big sister loved him._

_Love, Sarah_

Confusion was now the prominent expression on Jareth's face. Where the hell was she going? He rolled his eyes. She was probably exaggerating the whole situation. There goes Sarah, off to play hero one more time. Still…if she was going into something dangerous, he should keep an eye on her. He settled onto her couch and rolled a crystal ball back and forth between his hands. The ball began to focus on a scene. There were many lights, and a beach…

--

Sarah reached the spot. There were many fair folk out tonight, she noticed to her dismay. They paid her no attention though. She blended in with the mortals.

As Sarah slid down the rocks to reach the lower part of the beach, she saw what she figured was the "welcoming" committee. Three mer-people waited on the beach for her. Sarah itched to whip out her weapons, but she figured it was just a survival technique. She had to find out where Toby was first.

She walked as close as she dared.

"Can I help you? I assume you speak mortal english? Where is my brother?" Sarah asked, her voice like steel.

The biggest of the mer-people strode forward, his voice hesitant.

"I am…Adam, in your tongue." his voice had a vague accent, not nearly as bad as the other creature's had been.

"No offense, but I REALLY don't care who you are. I want my brother returned to me and I want you to never approach him again." Sarah's eyes were hard.

"I do not think you understand your position here," Adam said with a glimmer of that predatory smile the other had carried, "You near blinded a Mer Prince. You are quite lucky we have not killed the boy, or taken his eyes as punishment. You must understand, mortals are not suppose to be able to hurt us. I assume your weapons are iron?"

"You bet your ass they are. If dealing with the more mythical side of the world has taught me anything, it is to buy weapons with iron in them. Oh, and if you hadn't heard this, your so called "prince" was trying to DROWN ME when I stabbed him in the eye. This is all besides the point though. Release Toby and take your revenge on me. Toby has nothing to do with this. Please…just let him go." Sarah was damn close to begging.

"Hm…what do you offer?" he said.

"Offer?" Sarah lilted.

--

Jareth was pacing her living room. MY GOD! She had nearly blinded a MER PRINCE!!! What was she doing anywhere NEAR the mer-people? And now she was about to make a bargain with them? Did she HAVE a death wish? Sarah was a bad negotiator, Jareth knew this. She would say the wrong thing and get stuck doing something unpleasant, or worse, dead. Jareth pacing, which had ceased for a moment, started up again. His heart was pounding. Sarah dead was just not an option, but he would watch and see how this played out before he interfered.

--

"Yes. You did not think we would let the boy go AND let you get away with blinding our prince, did you?" Adam now blatantly wore a smirk of self assurance. He liked this mortal. She had fire. He bet that her blood would burn going down.

"Well…yeah, I kinda did…What is an acceptable offer? Considering the events?" Sarah really really hoped this wouldn't backfire on her.

"Well, how about your death?" He asked. The other two Mer people behind him nodded their approval.

"No, not an option."

"Well, do you have any…talents?" he asked with disdain dripping from every word.

Sarah hesitated.

"Well…I sing…I don't know how good I am compared to other people, but I am willing to trade my services as a singer for the life of my brother. I don't know how mer-people accept the arts compared to the Fae…" she started.

"We are NOT the FAE!" The male behind Adam snarled.

Adam held the man's arm, apparently communicating with him. The man backed down, but still looked like he was ready to explode at any moment.

Adam turned his head to the side as if to consider her option.

"Well, we are not the fae, but we still value the arts, and those adept at them. Part of the reason his Majesty wanted you was because your voice attracted him, so you must be quite adept. How long are you willing to lend us your services? Keep in mind, you are bargaining for both your life and your brothers."

Sarah looked down at her feet. Time was measured differently by people like them. A year would be like a minute to them.

"What would be reasonable to you?"

"100 years." he stated matter of factly.

"WHAT? I am MORTAL. I am not a creature that can survive that lifetime. Even if I was though, that is still too long." Sarah fumed.

"You, dear _mortal_, would be like us. You would live with us for the expanse of the time and would age as we do. After 100 years, you would look the same, and you would not crumble to dust once you were released from our place of residence." Adam bit back at her.

"100 years is still too long…"Sarah stated back, trying to hide how this information dazed her, "50 years, no more no less. Isn't that reasonable?"

Adam looked at her for a moment. Then he nodded.

"Fine. After a period of 50 years, you will be released with your punishment being paid. Toby is free. You will have to come with us now, though. The journey will not be pleasant." Adam frowned. "We are being watched." He cleared his throat and said in a loud, clear voice "Greetings, Jareth de Aislin, Goblin King."

Jareth stepped out from a shadow.

"Greetings, Adaeme Ru Daemaeion, Mer Prince. Is there a problem here?" Jareth drawled.

Sarah was shocked, to say the least. Why was the goblin king here? Her hand twitched for her knife. Jareth stilled.

"_Now, would NOT be a good time to go for your little knives if I were you…"_ he whispered so only she could hear.

Sarah stilled herself.

Adam noticed the now permeable tension. His eyebrow raised in a half question.

"The woman here almost blinded Druike. She has to be held accountable for her actions, mortal or not. She will be our bard for the next 50 years. The only thing left for us to settle is to bind her to the agreement. I do not trust the flightiness of mortals. They do tend to burn out quickly…" He grinned at that.

Sarah was outraged, but she kept it inside. Jareth was right, now was not the time to show force.

Sarah still couldn't believe her eyes. He was still just as she remembered, but being in his presence made everything rush back to her. The last hour in the labyrinth, his words, _her_ words (she thought with shame), and how lonely she had been without him the past few years. She knew her cheeks were burning, and she was glad it was night outside.

Jareth looked as if he might protest what Adam had stated so simply, but Sarah turned to him.

"Listen, Jareth, Your majesty, whatever you wish me to call you. I know you never liked me, but you did like Toby, right?" She gazed at him hopefully.

"Yes, I was fond of him."

"Would you do me a favor then?" She was silently pleading with her eyes.

Jareth wanted desperately to say no, but with her pleading with him and after reading her note earlier, he simply nodded.

"Will you…"Her voice faltered, so she cleared her throat and threw her hair behind her shoulder, "will you, um, take Toby to the castle beyond the goblin city? He misses it, I know even if I tell him it was all a dream. I don't want him to go through anything else. I trust you to have his best interests in mind. I know you will care for him as well as I would." Sarah lowered her voice "I don't think I am gonna make it out of this maze. I don't want Toby to be put through human systems. Please?" her eyes gazed up at Jareth, slightly glazed with tears.

Jareth put his arrogant mask into place.

"My dear," he drew out the words, "but whatever is in it for me, for taking care of young Toby?"

Sarah looked close to the edge. She cursed him in her head. He was still the villain after all.

"Well, I don't know, how about a new refrigerator?" she replied sarcastically.

"Now now Sarah, sarcasm will get you no where, and I expect that your honored hosts would wish to return soon. I would make a better offer than that, and I would make it quickly. You do not have thirteen hours to work your way out of this one." Jareth said, his words taking the effect he wanted them to. She cringed, then turned up eyes that were well beyond 'mad' to his face.

"Well?" he said.

"If I survive the mers, you can have their leftovers. I'm sure even with parts of me missing I would still be more of a woman than you've ever had around you. And I do so know how much you like leftovers, considering you are the king of unwanted things." Sarah casually let out. Then she realized that that comment had been a mistake.

Jareth's eyes grew dark. He was furious.

"You know nothing of being unwanted." He hissed. "I will take your brother, and I will accept you when the mers have had their fun, and then you will truly know the meaning of being 'unwanted', I can promise you that…" With a snap he turned to Adam.

"I have seen all that needs to be seen. There is nothing here to hold my interest any longer. I bid you adeu." With a graceful bow, Jareth disappeared.

Adam looked to Sarah. She was trembling. He sighed. Jareth had already beat them to frightening her. Where was the fun.

"It is time for us to leave. The terms of the agreement have been decided upon. Now we will bind the contract."

Adam took out a knife.

"What are you going to do with that?" Sarah's voice shook.

"I am going to cut across my heart, and you will taste my blood, and then I will cut across your heart and you will taste my blood. This is how we bind true to the contract. Don't worry, the cut is very shallow, I will not scar your pretty flesh…yet." he stated.

"Oh…" Sarah looked disgusted, but she walked forward. Eveything had a price, and she should not take for granted this method of contract binding. It could be far far worse.

Adam cut his chest very shallowly. He offered his arm to Sarah. She walked to him and pressed her lips to his cut. As soon as her lips touched the blood she felt a direct connection to the sea. The crash and fall of waves, the creatures swimming in its depths. It all rushed over her. Her knees gave way and the only thing keeping her up were Adam's arms.

"My turn." He whispered in her face.

He drew the knife across her chest very lightly, but she felt the sharp sting none the less. Then she felt his lips on her. She had to restrain herself from whimpering. It was overwhelming. She wasn't disgusted with this at all. In fact, it felt so good she didn't want it to stop. All she wanted in this universe was for him to continue this delicious torture. A small moan escaped her lips. Adam pulled back, a drop of her blood on his lips. He had a faint glazed look in his eyes.

"Just like fire…" he whispered.

Sarah still couldn't move. If they wanted to kill her, now would be their chance. Instead they all just stood there.

The silent mer stepped forward.

"What'sss done is done, What'ssss ssssaid isss ssssaid. Ssso mote it bee." She said, her voice slurring like waves crashing over one another.

The mer-people circled around sarah, who was still in Adam's arms.

"So mote it be." Adam said.

Then Sarah passed out.


End file.
